Monkey | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants FAMILY: Callitrichidae (marmosets and tamarins); Cebidae (New World monkeys); Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys) GENERA: 37 SPECIES: 196 ABOUT A barrel of monkeys: They’re magnificent, mischievous, and sometimes mysterious—monkeys! They have many different adaptations, depending on their habitat. Most are arboreal. Others, like macaques, baboons, and some mangabeys, are more terrestrial. All monkeys can use their hands and feet for holding on to branches, but some arboreal monkeys can use their tails, too. Tails that can grab and hold are called prehensile. These special tails are ridged on the underside and very flexible, so much so that they can grab a tree branch or pick up something as small as a peanut! Monkeys are found in two main regions of the world, so scientists have grouped them as either Old World monkeys or New World monkeys. Old World monkeys are found in Africa and Asia. Some examples are guenons, mangabeys, macaques, baboons, and colobus monkeys.

New World monkeys are found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Some examples are woolly monkeys, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and squirrel monkeys. Marmosets and tamarins also live where New World monkeys are found but are different enough to be in their own different scientific grouping. There are a few characteristics that are different in Old World and New World monkeys: Noses: Most Old World monkeys have small curved nostrils set close together. Most New World monkeys have round nostrils set far apart. Cheek pouches: Macaques and some of the other Old World monkeys have cheek pouches, where food is stuffed on the run so it can be chewed later. New World monkeys don’t have cheek pouches. Rump pads: Some Old World monkeys, such as drills, have sitting pads on their rumps, but New World monkeys do not. Tails: Some New World monkeys, such as spider monkeys, have prehensile tails, but Old World monkeys do not. And one Old World monkey species, the Barbary macaque, has no tail at all!

HABITAT AND DIET Most monkey species live in the tropical rain forests of Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, or the savannas of Africa. Geladas and golden monkeys are mountain dwellers, and Japanese macaques live in parts of Japan where it snows; these are the monkeys you may have seen on TV that find hot springs and spend a lot of time in the winter sitting in the warm water—kind of like a macaque Jacuzzi! Baboons live in savannas, open wooded areas, and rocky hillsides; although they are able to climb trees, they spend most of their time on the ground. Many monkey species are known for their tree-swinging leaps that put human acrobats to shame! Many monkey species use the “arm over arm” technique you may have seen children practicing on the “monkey bars” at the playground! Colobus monkeys, unlike other monkey species, have hind legs that are much longer than their forelimbs, making for incredible leaping ability with great speed. Monkey feet are as flexible as their hands, which also help them travel through small branches high up in the rain forest canopy.

Monkeys play an important role in the wild by pollinating flowers and dispersing seeds as they travel. Some monkeys can swim; their webbed toes help them paddle through the water, and they may swim across a stream or river to avoid predators or get to food. Night or owl monkeys are strictly nocturnal, using their enormous eyes to see well in the dark. They communicate with one another through scents and calls, including a series of grunts that resonate in the forest. Prehensile tails come in handy for holding on while the monkey collects food: flowers, fruits, nuts, leaves, seeds, insects, birds’ eggs, spiders, and small mammals. Old World monkeys fill up their large cheek pouches with fruits, leaves, and insects as they forage during the day, stopping to chew and swallow their food when they find a safe spot to rest. Baboons are also known to eat meat when they can catch it, including young antelope, rabbits, and birds like guinea fowl. Leaves are the food of choice for some monkey species. Colobus monkeys and langurs have chambered stomachs that carry bacteria, which help ferment and digest leaves. Geladas prefer to graze on grass!

Monkeys at the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park are offered a variety of vegetables, special herbivore biscuits, and a variety of leafy branches (mulberry, willow, hibiscus, and ficus) to munch on. FAMILY LIFE Groups of monkeys, called troops, travel together by day to find food. A troop can number from a few individuals to a thousand or more, depending on the species. Within huge troops, the animals form smaller groups, called harems, which include an adult male, several adult females, and their offspring. Unattached adult males, called bachelors, may form their own group. To keep family bonds, monkeys engage in daily mutual grooming. One exception to social living is the gray titi monkey, native to the tropical forests of Bolivia. These small monkeys, which only weigh about 2 pounds (0.9 kilograms), live in small, monogamous family units made up of the parents and their immature offspring. Some monkey species give birth to babies that are a completely different color from the parents. For example, adult colobus have black hair, but a newborn is white; langur babies are orange while their parents are black.

It’s thought this color distinction makes it easier for the whole troop to identify and look after the infants. The youngster’s color usually changes within the first six months, when the juvenile becomes an almost perfect copy of the adults. Infants are helpless at birth, so they get rides by clinging to their mothers. But marmosets and tamarins are different—the fathers have almost all the responsibility! They carry the babies on their back and watch over them, only giving them to Mom for nursing. Another difference—they regularly have twin or triplet, not single, births. Is that because Dad helps out so much? When the troop is not traveling, monkey babies are very active, spending much of their waking hours playing. These fun activities help young monkeys develop physical and social skills they need for adult life. Monkeys are very social animals, so it is important that they communicate well in order to get along in their large groups. They use vocalizations, facial expressions, and body movements to get their messages across. Staring, for instance, is a threat in monkey society. Monkeys look down or away to avoid threatening other monkeys, thus preventing fights. Species with long tails use them to “talk to others and indicate their mood.

Loud vocalizations can mean, "stay out—this is my territory.” Using vocalizations instead of fighting is a much safer way to communicate. Monkeys use barks, screams, grunts, squeaks, hoots, wails, and moans to communicate with one another. Grinning, or pulling the lip up to show the teeth, may seem like a smile to us. But for monkeys, this is a sign of aggression or anger, because biting is one of the ways monkeys fight and defend themselves. Other signs of aggression include head bobbing, yawning (again, to show the teeth), and jerking the head and shoulders forward. Cotton-topped tamarins raise and lower a crest of fluffy white hair on their head to emphasize their facial expressions. Monkeys also express affection and make peace with others by grooming each other. Although grooming helps monkeys keep their fur clean of dirt, dead skin, and parasites, it also helps them build and maintain good social relationships. Grooming seems to be a way to make up after fighting or to make friends with other troop members.

AT THE ZOO Monkeys have been a part of San Diego Zoo Global since we were founded in 1916, and by 1925 we had 22 species represented. Since then, we have celebrated the births of many endangered monkey species, including golden lion tamarins, lion-tailed macaques, red-shanked douc langurs, gray langurs, and mandrills. Today, the Zoo is home to 27 monkey species, including colobus, swamp monkey, mangabey, mandrill, and guenon species in Lost Forest, langurs and macaques in Asian Passage, and spider monkeys in Discovery Outpost. You can view kikuyu colobus and Geoffroy’s marmosets at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Here are some fun facts about monkeys at the Zoo over the years: A weeper capuchin named Irish was popular in the San Diego Zoo's earliest days. According to a 1946 article in our member magazine, ZOONOOZ, “Irish…has long been a favorite of regular zoo visitors.

Since 1927 he has sung unmistakable greeting to his friends and, having once cultivated his acquaintance, no none can pass through the zoo without paying a visit to his cage.” Irish sired several babies and was declared a “splendid father,” caring for his babies “with infinite tenderness and a patience seldom equaled in human parents.” Francois’ langurs first came to the San Diego Zoo in 1980 from the Guanqzhou Zoo in China; we were the first zoo in the Western Hemisphere to house this species and established the population now found in American zoos. We also had the first birth of this species in the Western Hemisphere, in 1981, and one of the Zoo’s males, Baba, fathered 22 offspring. Golden monkeys Min-Min and Rong-Rong lived at the Zoo for six months in 1984 to 1985 as part of an exchange program with a zoo in Chengdu, China. This was an important international zoological event, as it was the first time this species was seen in a Western zoo.

Lion-tailed macaques were the first primate species to be studied by our researchers, starting in 1979 and focusing on their reproductive biology. We knew very little about them and tried to find out how their social organization worked. One of the first things we learned was that we should not house adult males together; this was to avoid a lot of tension and injuries! The Zoo has exhibits that house different monkey species together, or monkeys living with other animals that they would encounter in the wild. For example, there is a family of Wolf’s guenons with pygmy hippos; black mangabeys and Angolan colobus monkeys; mandrills and kikuyu colobus; and Allens’ swamp monkeys and Schmidt’s spot-nosed guenons sharing a habitat with forest buffalo, red river hogs, and African spot-necked otters! In July 2011, we became the first zoo known to help raise a baby silvered leaf monkey, born on July 3 to a first-time mother that did not hold her properly for nursing. Our nursery keepers bottle-fed the baby several times a day while allowing her to stay with her family for several hours each day.

The fun factor in the Zoo's Lost Forest increased 15-fold with the arrival of tufted capuchin monkeys in 2011. These highly intelligent little primates are certainly keeping things lively! They came to us after participating in facial recognition and intelligence tests at Yerkes National Primate Research Center. Each monkey has his or her own distinct personality. Lulu, for example, is timid but can also be quite stubborn. Lance is very people oriented, and Ozzie is clearly the dominant male. Their entertaining "monkey business" keeps Zoo visitors swinging by for more! CONSERVATION Unless human behavior changes, monkeys face an uncertain future. Many live in areas where people live. Monkeys are often considered pests by farmers and are killed. Some are killed for their fur and for meat, which is known as bushmeat; some are hunted for medicinal concoctions. Monkeys are also trapped and sold as pets. People need to remember that monkeys are wild animals, and they do not make good pets. They are loud, messy, difficult to care for, and can be aggressive. Monkeys can also become very sick from not getting the right food, and they lead unhappy and short lives from not living in the right conditions.

Over the past decade, San Diego Zoo Global has been working with our colleagues in Southeast Asia, especially China, on activities collectively known as “The Asian Leaf-eating Monkey Program,” designed to address collateral conservation research, training, and education issues in areas harboring endangered leaf monkeys. To date, substantial progress has been made in all areas and we are continuing our efforts there. In 2011, we installed 40 remote camera traps to monitor habitat use and movement patterns of the last remaining population of Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys in China, estimated at about 750 individuals. San Diego Zoo Global’s Central Africa Program runs three permanently manned field stations in the Ebo forest, in the heartland of biodiverse Cameroon, Africa. Nine species of day-living monkey species live in the Ebo forest, some of which (like the Preuss’s red colobus) are critically endangered. Many monkey species have been poorly studied, and researchers are only gradually uncovering their social, dietary, and behavioral habits.

In Cameroon, hunting to supply the commercial trade in bushmeat destined for big Africa cities is one of the major threats to monkeys, and our research stations are providing a safe haven for many of these species simply because the presence of researchers in the forest deters hunters, and our community outreach efforts in local villages help get the conservation information to the people who live close to these species. San Diego Zoo Global has also partnered with Nature and Culture International to preserve tropical forest habitat in Mexico and South America. Our scientists are also joining them in biological studies of the animals and plants in the Cazaderos region of Ecuador and in northwestern Peru. Our team has documented several mammal species there, including black howler monkeys, and we see tremendous potential to help save large areas of forest that otherwise might well be lost. You can help protect monkeys and monkey habitat! Do not buy anything made from monkey body parts. Be careful about buying items made from rain forest trees, unless that wood is certified. Some rain forest products, such as Brazil nuts, actually help protect monkey habitat, because they can only be harvested from healthy rain forests. This type of product usually has a label describing how it helps protect the rain forest. Read the labels!

Recycling and buying recycled products also helps save all animal habitats by reducing the amount of resources we take from the Earth. Join us! You can help us bring monkey species back from the brink by supporting the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy . Together we can save and protect wildlife around the globe. LIFE SPAN Colobus Monkeys - Learn All About Colobus Monkeys Colobus Monkeys Colobus Monkeys are any of 10 species of Old World monkeys in the genus Colobus. Colobus Monkey Classification: Genus: Colobus Other Names: Mantled Guereza, Catarrhine Conservation Status: Many species of red colobus are currently considered endangered, other colobus species are vulnerable, while some there is not sufficient data to determine their status. Species: There are five species and approximately 8 subspecies.

Colobus Species and Sub-Species Include: Black Colobus - Colobus satanas Gabon Black Colobus - Colobus satanas Anthracinus Bioko Black Colobus - Colobus Satanas Satanas Angola Colobus - Colobus Angolensis Sclaterï¿½s Angola Colobus - Colobus Angolensis Angolensis Powell-Cottonï¿½s Angola Colobus - Colobus Angolensis Cottoni Adolf Friedrichsï¿½s Angola Colobus / Ruwenzori Black-and-white Colobus - Colobus Angolensis Ruwenzorii Cordierï¿½s Angola Colobus - Colobus Angolensis Cordieri Prigogine's Angola Colobus - Colobus Angolensis Prigoginei Peters's Angola Colobus / Tanzanian Black-and-white Colobus - Colobus Angolensis Palliatus King Colobus - Colobus Polykomos Mantled Guereza or Abyssinian Black-and-white Colobus - Colobus Guerez Size: Colobus monkeys are 18-24 inches long (excluding their tails) and they weigh 

12-32 lbs.

Habitat: Colobus monkeys are native to Africa. Colobus monkeys are found in all types of closed forests, and bamboo stands. Description: Colobus monkeys have long tails they use for balancing during their leaping from tree to tree. Behavior: Colobus monkeys are diurnal and arboreal. In fact the Colobus spends the vast majority of its time in trees, rarely descending to the ground. Diet: Colobus monkeys are herbivorous. They typically eat leaves, fruit, flowers, and twigs. Gestation: Colobus monkeys carry their young for 5-7 months. Birth: Colobus mokeys are born almost entirely white. Sexually Mature: Female colobus monkeys sexually mature around 6 years of age. Male colobus monkeys mature arond the age of 4. Life Span: Colobus monkeys life span is estimated to be about 25 years in the wild. Did You Know? Colobus monkeys do not have thumbs. Social Structure: Colobus monkeys live in groups or troops of 5-10 monkeys. The troup consists of a a dominant male and females with their offspring.

Athleticism: Colobus monkeys use branches as trampolines, jumping up and down on them to get liftoff for leaps. They can leap up to 50 feet from branch to branch. Colobus Monkey Conservation Status: Varies by species. Monkey Gifts List of Rain Forest Monkeys | Animals - mom.me List of Rain Forest Monkeys The howler monkey's vocalizations can be heard up to three miles away. Tom Brakefield/Stockbyte/Getty Images Monkeys, like humans, belong to the primate order of mammals. Most monkeys live in rain forests and are arboreal. Biologists divide monkeys into two categories: Old World monkeys, which include species found in Africa and Asia, and New World monkeys, which refers to those that live in Latin America. Many rain forest monkeys live in groups, known as troops. Howler Monkeys The biggest and loudest monkey in the rain forests of Latin America is the howler monkey. Males can be up to four feet tall. Large vocal cords and a bony chamber under the throat allow them to produce a howl-like sound used to demarcate territory. Like most New World monkeys, howlers have a prehensile tail that can wrap around branches.

There are six howler monkey species, which are herbivorous. They eat leaves and the occasional fruit or flower. Capuchin Monkeys The coat of the capuchin monkey, found in Central and South America, is generally dark save for the cream-colored hair on its neck and shoulders and around its pink face. These small monkeys -- their maximum weight is about 9 pounds -- consume fruits, nuts, leaves, insects, frogs and small birds and mammals. Capuchin monkeys are considered intelligent and have been observed in the wild using stones to crack open nuts. Spider Monkeys The rain forests of southern Mexico, Central America and South America harbor seven species of spider monkeys, which can be identified by the white rings around their eyes. Their faces are hairless, while the rest of their bodies are covered in coarse, black hair. Though they lack thumbs, spider monkeys are agile when it comes to swinging from branch to branch. Fruits make up most of the spider monkey's diet. Macaques Macaques comprise a widespread genus of Old World monkeys. Species that live in rain forests include the crested black macaque of Indonesia, named for its Mohawk-like hair.

One of the smallest species is the endangered lion-tailed macaque of India, the mane and tail of which resemble those of its namesake feline. Most macaques are omnivorous. The long-tailed macaque, found in the rain forests of Southeast Asia, the Philippines and Indonesia, eats crabs. All macaques have cheek pouches used to store food, a characteristic unique to Old World monkeys. Colobus Monkeys "Colobus" is a word of Greek origin that means "maimed." In the case of the colobus monkey, it describes a missing thumb, an adaption that allows this highly arboreal primate to move swiftly among branches in the Central African rain forest. These monkeys have black coats with white hair around their faces and on their backs. The red colobus has patches of red-orange hair. Colobus monkeys eat young leaves and shoots. A chambered stomach allows them to digest vegetation that other monkeys cannot. Mangabeys The nine monkey species known as mangabeys inhabit the rain forests of equatorial Africa. There are two main types: white-eyelid mangabeys and crested mangabeys.

Both are arboreal, but the former, which include the white-collared mangabey, the largest species, spend more time on the ground than the latter. Mangabeys have large front teeth that allow them to tear through the skin of fruits that other monkeys cannot penetrate. They also eat seeds and leaves. A mangabey's tail can be as long as or longer than its body. Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens | Monkey, Kikuyu Colobus Scientific Name: Colobus guereza kikuyuensis Fast Fact: The word “colobus” stems from the Greek word for “docked,” referring to the monkey’s nearly absent thumb. The digit is greatly reduced to a small tubercle and remnant nail. These Old World primates are Cercopithecids belonging to sub-family Colobinae. The Kikuyu colobus is one of eight subspecies. Their striking black and white coloration and long, luxurious coats make them some of the most beautiful monkeys in Africa. STATUS: This monkey is at low risk of extinction.

Its population is stable, living in limited but largely protected areas, and there are no major threats to its survival. However, this monkey has been hunted for meat and pelts in the past. The L.A. Zoo’s Kikuyu family is part of a Species Survival Plan breeding program. HABITAT: The Kikuyu colobus is known to live only around the Ngong Escarpment, Mount Kenya, and the Aberdare Mountain Range in Kenya. They range from rainforests to montane and riparian forests of Africa’s wooded grasslands. DIET: Colobus monkeys are herbivores, eating leaves and plants. As they digest the cellulose found in plant matter, water is released. They consume enough plant matter that they do not have to drink much water. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: This monkey has a black body with lengthy white hair trimming the back. The long, white tail ends in a bushy plume. Around the face is more white hair, and the crown of the head is black. Lacking thumbs, the hook-like hands speed semi-brachiation as the monkey swings from one tree to another.

Mainly walking quadrupedally along branches, Kikuyus sometimes leap from limb to limb. Hairless, calloused pads on the monkey’s rear allow it to sit in a tree for prolonged periods without losing blood circulation to the legs. Adults weigh up to 32 pounds and females are somewhat smaller than males. This colobus consumes large amounts of plant matter containing hard-to-digest cellulose; however, some special adaptations aid digestion. Large salivary glands produce extra buffer fluid in the stomach, and the enlarged, sacculated stomach is divided into three folded parts, allowing plant material to pass through the digestive system very slowly. This facilitates fermentation by bacteria in the gut, processing cellulose, releasing nutrients, and deactivating toxins. Family Life Colobus monkeys live high in the trees, coming to the ground occasionally. Vocal males roar and snort to defend their group’s well-defined territory. Males may live in a family group or as solitary bachelors. Groups of up to 15 members are typical, with one dominant male, several females, and their young. Females become sexually mature at four years old, while males mature by four or five. There is no set breeding season.

Gestation lasts about six months. Births are timed for weaning when food is plentiful. Usually, one infant is born, and multiple females care for it. At birth, the clinging infant weighs almost one pound and is all white. It gets its black trim at about three-and-a-half months old and full adult coloration between five and ten months. In captivity, Kikuyu colobuses live from 27 to 30 years. Primate Factsheets: Tufted capuchin (Cebus apella) Taxonomy, Morphology, & Ecology Genus: Cebus Species: C. apella Subspecies: C. a. apella, C. a. fatuellus, C. a. macrocephalus, C. a. margaritae, C. a. peruanus, C. a.

tocantinus Other names: black-capped capuchin, brown capuchin, Guianan brown capuchin, tufted capuchin; gekuifde kapucijnaap (Dutch); sajon apelle (French); macaco prego (Spanish); tjockhuvudtamarin, brun kapucin, gulbröstad kapucin, mösskapucin (Swedish); C. a. apella: mono capuchin pardo (Spanish). The taxonomy of the tufted capuchin is debated. Some researchers list certain types as subspecies while others elevate the same types to full species level (see Rylands et al. 2005). Groves lists six subspecies: C. a. apella, C. a. fatuellus, C. a. margaritae, C. a. macrocephalus, C. a. peruanus and C. a. tocantinus. He lists C. libidinosus, C. nigritus, and C. xanthosternos as discrete species, although some researchers place these as subspecies of C. apella (Groves 2001).

MORPHOLOGY Photo: Roy Fontaine The brown or tufted capuchin is recognized by its characteristic head coloration, a black or dark brown cap with dark sideburns. On either side of the dark cap on the head there are tufts of dark fur above the ears. The shoulders are paler than the back which ranges from shades of yellow to red-brown, darkest in the middle of the back. Its legs, hands, and tail are darker than the rest of its pelage . The face can range from brown to pink (Groves 2001). There is significant variation in face color among even members of the same group but adult males tend to be darker in color than females (Emmons & Freer 1997). Sexual dimorphism is seen in the wild tufted capuchin with males averaging 3.650 kg (8.05 lb) and females averaging 2.520 kg (5.56 lb) (Fleagle 1999). Sexual dimorphism is also exhibited in canine size with males possessing larger canines than females (Kay et al 1988; Masterson 2003).

In captivity, tufted capuchins are significantly heavier, with males averaging 6.089 kg (13.42 lb) and females averaging 3.19 kg (7.03 lb) in an extreme example (Leigh 1994). Head and body length is 444 mm (17.48 in) for males and 390 mm (15.35 in) for females. The tail is about as long as the rest of the body (Napier 1976). In a captive case of extreme longevity, a tufted capuchin male lived until he was at least 45 years old (Hakeem et al. 1996). Locomotion is principally quadrupedal and while traveling, the prehensile tail is not typically used and is curved down behind the body. The tail is mainly used during feeding and foraging and serves as a brake while descending (Youlatos 1999). The tail helps to control risky movements, assist in changes in direction and to stabilize the capuchin while feeding in its characteristic seated posture.

The tufted capuchin normally moves on branches and twigs and suspensory postures are rare (Fleagle & Mittermeier 1980; Youlatos 1999). RANGE Cebus apella The tufted capuchin is only found in South America, in the countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, Guiana, and Venezuela (Fragaszy et al. 2004). The Margarita island tufted capuchin (C. a. margaritae) is isolated from the rest of the population off of the north coast of Venezuela and is separated from the nearest mainland population by around 800 km (Groves 2001; reviewed in Fragaszy et al. 2004). This population presumably has been on the island since the pre-Columbian era but, ultimately, its origin is unknown (Groves 2001). The heart of the range of the tufted capuchin is the northwestern half of Brazil and the Amazon basin.

It is found in western Amazonia, and in the middle and lower Rio Amazonas and the Guianas. Its northern limit extends up to Venezuela as far as the Federal Territory of Amazonas and is limited by savannahs . The west of the tufted capuchin range extends into the Columbian Amazon and as far as the eastern foothills of the Andes mountain chain south into Peru. The southern limit in Brazil appears to be limited by the bush savannah of central Brazil. Eastern extremes of the range may extend past the Rio Xingu but there is some dispute as to the limits of the range (Rylands et al. 2005). The tufted capuchin has the largest range of all of the New World primates (Freese & Oppenheimer 1981). Tufted capuchins were studied for over ten years at La Macarena, Colombia by Kosei Izawa starting in 1986 (Izawa 1988). Other prominent studies include those in Peru by Charles Janson. HABITAT The genus Cebus as a whole inhabits almost every type of forest in the neotropics .

The same can be said about the tufted capuchin which can live in many different habitats as well (Mittermeier & van Roosmalen 1981). It can live within a wide variety of wooded habitats and is regarded as being considerably adaptable. In Suriname, it lives in at least five different forest types, including high rain forest, low rain forest, mountain savanna forest, liane forest, and pina swamp forest (Mittermeier & van Roosmalen 1981; see Zhang 1995a). In general, habitats in which tufted capuchins are found include rain forest, southern forest, mora forest, premontane forest, lower montane forest, wallaba forest, kanuku forest, southeast seasonal forest, swamp forest, and low seasonal forest (Lehman 2004). They are also found in a range of different edge habitats . Within different forest types, the monkeys typically remain within the understory and lower and middle canopy (Mittermeier & van Roosmalen 1981).

Near the eastern end of the tufted capuchin range in French Guiana, the climate has an annual dry season from August to November and a long rainy season punctuated in February and March by a short dry spell. Annual precipitation averages 3000 mm (118.11 in) and temperatures range from 22.0°C (71.6°F) to 31.2°C (88.16°F) (Zhang 1995a). In the middle of the tufted capuchin range, near Manaus, Brazil in dense terra firma forest, mean average rainfall is 2,673 mm (105.24 in). This area exhibits a wet season from December to May and a dry season during the rest of the year. Temperatures can range from 21°C (69.8°F) to 33.5°C (92.3°F) at this locale (Spironello 2001).

Near the western extreme of the tufted capuchin range in moist tropical forest in southeastern Peru, the dry season ranges from June to October and rainfall averages around 2000 mm (78.74 in) with an average temperature of 24.1°C (75.38°F) (Janson 1985). The altitude at which tufted capuchins are found also can vary considerably with the species having been seen as high as 2350 m (7709.97 ft) in the Peruvian highlands (Butchart et al. 1995). ECOLOGY The omnivorous tufted capuchin is able to exploit a wide range of food resources, including many not used by other neotropical primates, a fact that permits its widespread distribution (Brown & Zunino 1990). As would be expected in such a large range, foods exploited by tufted capuchins vary widely with habitat as well as with the seasons.

In general, the tufted capuchin diet contains fruits, insects, leaves, nectar, nuts, and pith, the relative proportions of which in the diet vary considerably with the seasons (Terborgh 1983; Spironello 2001). In Suriname, the tufted capuchin eats mainly insects and fruits supplemented by seeds, flowers, and leaves (Mittermeier & van Roosmalen 1981). Elsewhere in Amazonia, the diet of the tufted capuchin was 82% plants and 18% animal matter. A larger number of different species of plant are used during the wet season than are used in the dry season (Spironello 2001). In the dry season, when food is often scarce, the tufted capuchin relies on palm nuts and pith for nourishment as this resource is readily available in an otherwise lean resource season. In the wet season however, the reliance on palm is curtailed as other food resources are available (Terborgh 1983).

Animal prey of the tufted capuchin includes a large variety of insects in addition to vertebrates such as frogs, lizards and birds (Terborgh 1983). In addition to other vertebrates, the tufted capuchin is a confirmed predator of titi monkeys ( Callicebus moloch ) having been observed killing and consuming an infant (Sampaio & Ferrari 2005). The main activity of tufted capuchins over the course of the daily activity period is feeding (Izawa 1980). On a daily basis, the diurnal tufted capuchin will divide its time into 12% rest, 21% travel and 66% feeding (Terborgh 1983). Time spent in different daily activities varies with the seasons and locality and foraging time can range between January and May from 2% of daily activity to 37.1%. Movement can range from 35.2% to 23.6% of time spent daily (Zhang 1995a).

Tufted capuchins rest more and travel less with a greater availability of fruits and other food resources in the wet season. Tufted capuchin foraging for insects increases in the dry season, presumably due to the lack of available fruit resources (Terborgh 1983). Photo: Kevin Schafer Tufted capuchins spend the night in tall trees, chosen for their security, comfort level, and appropriateness for social contact (Zhang 1995b). Sleeping trees must be tall to prevent access from terrestrial predators, they must be comfortable, and the leaves of the tree must be large enough for more than one individual to sleep side by side, although tufted capuchins will also sleep alone. In French Guiana, the preferred tree is the Patawa palm, but in other habitats any tree that is tall enough and appropriate enough will be used (Zhang 1995b). Typically the sleeping site will be located near the center of the group's home range but tends to be the appropriate site closest to where they were last foraging rather than a specific preferred site (Zhang 1995b; DiBitetti et al. 2000).

The sleeping site changes frequently, but a single site can be reused (Zhang 1995b). Average home range size of the tufted capuchin can reach as high as 8-9 km² (3.1-3.5 mi²) (Spironello 2001). Like other aspects of capuchin ecology however, this value can vary significantly with habitat, with some groups elsewhere having a home range of significantly smaller at around 2.6 km² (1 mi²) to1.25 km² (.48 mi²), and can be as low as to .5 km² to .7 km² (.19 to .27 mi²) (Izawa 1980; Terborgh & Janson 1983; Janson in prep. cited in Robinson & Janson 1986). Average daily path for a tufted capuchin is around 2.1 km (1.3 mi) (Janson in prep. cited in Robinson & Janson 1986).

Tufted capuchins usually live in sympatry with other primates and it is rare to find them as the only primate species in their habitats (Fragaszy et al. 2004). Examples of species which they live with include sakis ( Pithecia sp. ), spider monkeys ( Ateles sp. ), howler monkeys ( Alouatta sp. ), squirrel monkeys ( Saimiri sp. ), and tamarins ( Saguinus sp. ) (Fragaszy et al. 2004). In fact, the species occurs in over half of the primate communities in the neotropics (Peres & Janson 1999). Tufted capuchins can also be found living in the same habitat with both C. albifrons and C. olivaceous, a rare situation as it is uncommon for members of the same primate genus to live in the same habitat (Fragaszy et al. 2004).

The main predator of the tufted capuchin is the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja), which has been seen attacking capuchins in several locales (Rettig 1978; Terborgh 1983; van Schaik & van Noordwijk 1989). Other potential predators include jaguars, pumas, jaguarundis, coyotes, tayras, snakes and crocodiles, although these are not confirmed (Fragaszy et al. 2004). Wild tufted capuchins are capable of using tools to open up otherwise inaccessible fruits, the husks of which it cannot open in its teeth or jaws. It opens fruits by smashing them on tree surfaces or by using baton-like branch pieces to open the fruit. Immature tufted capuchins have been observed attempting to mimic the behavior of adults but they often fail (Boinski et al. 2000). Content last modified: April 17, 2009 Written by Kurt Gron . Reviewed by Gary Linn . Cite this page as: Gron KJ. 2009 April 17.

Primate Factsheets: Tufted capuchin (Cebus apella) Taxonomy, Morphology, & Ecology . < Accessed 2017 January 20. Colobus Monkeys: Classification Primates belong to the class, mammalian. The colobus monkey is part of the order, primates. Primates consist of many diverse species such as the chimpanzee, orangutan, baboon, gorilla, lemur and humans. Primates are classified in many different categories which specify the many different characteristics they possess. The colobus monkey is part of the suborder specie, anthropoidea. Those that make up the suborder anthropidea are monkeys, apes and humans, referred to anthropoids. Anthropoids possess characteristics such as: possessing a larger body size than other primates, reduced reliance on the sense of smell, longer gestation and maturation periods and their blood supply to the brain is different than the prossimian species. The colobus monkey is further categorized as part of the infraorder, catarrhini. Catarrhini refers to possessing a narrow, downward-facing nose with nostrils located close together.

The catarrhini infraorder also includes humans and apes. Monkeys, such as the colobus, are divided by two subfamily groups-New World and Old World , which separates them from humans and apes. Monkeys are classified New World and Old World due to their geographic location. The colobus monkey belongs to the Old World family. Old World monkeys are known as the superfamily-Cercopithecidae. The cercopithecidae consist of baboons, macaques, guenons, langurs and colobus monkeys. The superfamily cercopithecidae is made up of two subfamily groups-cercopithecines and colobines. The colobus monkey belongs to the subfamily group colobines, which include langurs. Colobus monkeys possess characteristics that define them as Old World monkeys. Old World monkeys have catarrhine noses, placing them in the infraorder catarrhini, which is due to having less broad, downward-facing noses, with nostrils located closer together than New World monkeys. Old World monkeys exhibit specific locomotion, although some New World monkeys share these traits.

Colobus monkeys use all four limbs when traversing their habitat which characterizes them as quadrupeds. Additionally, colobus monkeys are semibrachiators meaning they engage in a combination of swinging and leaping. Various Types of Colobus Monkeys COLOR Capuchin Monkey - Animal Facts and Information Capuchin Monkey Posted by BioExpedition | May 16, 2013 | Monkeys | What Is A Capuchin Monkey What Does It Look Like? The Capuchin monkey is considered to be a New World monkey; they are fairly small compared to many of the world’s other species of monkeys; however they are the cutest monkeys also. The capuchin monkeys have brown or black arms, legs, body and even tail; they may be dark but their chests, throats and their faces are white depending on species. The heads are black also. These capuchin monkeys can grow to around 12 inches; this is for most females however, males mostly reach 22 inches. The size can vary but usually the capuchin monkeys are not going to grow more than 22 inches.

Though, the tails of the capuchin monkeys can grow to be the same length as the body also. The capuchin monkeys can be very light also because they weigh up to around 2 or 3 pounds which is very light for anyone, especially a monkey. However, the capuchin monkey’s brain can weigh around 35 grams; and the capuchin monkeys have been and still are considered to be the world’s most intelligent monkeys. There are however several distinct types of other species of capuchin monkeys; two of them are the Crested capuchin and the yellow breasted capuchin. The crested capuchin has a conical crest on the head. The crest will be dark and the fur which will be black goes all around the edge of the face; this can help to create a beard like feature underneath the capuchin’s chin. Most of the body is black such as the lower parts of the tail, arms and legs while the rest of the body is auburn. The yellow breasted capuchin is a very small monkey; it will have dark fur but it has also a yellow-golden red belly, chest and upper arms also.

The temple and face of the yellow breasted capuchin is fawn but the rest of the face is black. The males will be a little bigger than the females also. Capuchin monkey – Family Cebidae Where Do The Capuchin Monkeys Live? Capuchin monkeys can live across central and south America. These can include; Paraguay Honduras They can survive on most of these areas and are comfortable living here also. These Capuchin monkeys do at times have a fairly good relation with the human species. There are some across the world who will keep these monkeys as pets, exotic pets however, these Capuchin monkeys are not really supposed to be kept as pets. However, the capuchins can be often seen near human crops and fields; and usually they are foraging the fields and crops for food sources. Humans do not like this but actually, this is all down to the monkey’s habitat being destroyed over time. Though, there are less monkeys being seen near human population due to their homes being destroyed. Some humans believe that the capuchin monkey, are a service animal. There are some organizations around the world that have actually trained these little monkeys to help those in need.

Quadriplegic sufferers have been assisted by these monkeys; they have been at times described as an alternative to seeing eye-dogs and mobility assistance dogs also. The Behavior of Capuchin Monkeys Capuchins are New World monkeys and as a result, they are arboreal and diurnal animals. They spend most of their days searching for food but they do take in a short midday nap. During the night, they will sleep amongst the trees, usually wedged tightly between branches. The capuchin monkeys have to be very careful to avoid predators such as jaguars, coyotes, snakes, crocodiles and many more. They have to be very careful when it comes to being near the rivers as well as on the ground when they are foraging. Capuchin monkeys can live in small or large groups of a dozen to almost forty monkeys. They are well social animals and can survive in both smaller groups and larger groups. Capuchin Monkey, a New World monkey The Feeding Habits of a Capuchin Monkey The capuchin monkeys have a very varied diet. They do not eat what most Cebidae monkeys eat because they are solely omnivores.

They will have a varied diet because they will consume things such as bird eggs, insects and spiders; and they will eat nuts, buds, seeds and fruits. However, capuchin monkeys live near water and like to live near water so that they can eat shell fish and crabs. They can crack the shells with stones they find near the beaches though they do tend to also eat vertebrates – small ones. Strangely, the capuchin monkeys usually eat the foods which are hard to find and the foods which are only around for a shorter periods of time. However, they can find food sources anywhere they search. How Does the Reproduction Cycle Work With Capuchin Monkeys? Female Capuchins only bear young every two years; this happens after they have a gestation period of 160-180 days. However, the males rarely take any part of caring or rearing the young as most females take this responsibility on more. The young capuchins will huge onto their mother when they are very young. They will hang onto her chest for a good few years but when they get older or larger, they will hold onto the back instead.

Though, the capuchins don’t mature quickly; it can take four years for female capuchins to mature fully and almost eight years for the males. This is an extraordinary amount of time but until those ages, the capuchins are considered to be young or juveniles. Most of the capuchins in the wild life will find they live only around 15-25 years; whereas in captivity, the life expectancy can be almost 40 years, maybe even longer. Life expectancy might be better for those in captivity than in the wild life but being in the wild life is better because that is their natural habitat. Clever Monkeys | Monkeys and Medicinal Plants | Nature | PBS Monkeys and Medicinal Plants Explore more from this episode More When we are sick, or suffering discomfort from diarrhea or indigestion, we take medicines to make us feel better. We know what ails us, and we know what can help us. Monkeys, too, seem to have knowledge of the therapeutic. New cases are reported every year, and zoopharmacognosy, the study of self-medication in animals, is a growing field.

The fur-rubbing white-faced capuchins and the charcoal-eating red colobus monkeys seen in Clever Monkeys are just two examples of medical ingenuity in primates. Across the globe, monkeys have figured out remedies for common ailments, just as we have. One of the greatest dangers to monkeys, and one of the greatest annoyances, are insects and parasites. Ectoparasites like lice, ticks, and mosquitoes carry many diseases to which monkeys are susceptible. Evolutionary biologists believe that parasites coevolved with their hosts over eons, and both humans and monkeys have continually sought relief from these pests. Itching, scratching, and swatting are the only options for most animals, but primates have evolved several novel approaches. Grooming is an effective way to pick off pesky bugs, but the white-faced capuchins seen in Clever Monkeys take pest control to another level. They rub themselves with leaves from the piper plant, which is also used by some people in Costa Rica as an insect repellant. The piper leaves are also antiseptic, which helps ward off bacterial and fungal infections.

Fur-rubbing episodes in the white-faced capuchin monkeys correlate markedly with increases in humidity. The capuchins know that increased humidity means an increase in the abundance of insects, and the risk of bacterial and fungal skin infections. Capuchins also sometimes rub their fur with millipedes that contain benzoquinones, chemical compounds that repel insects. Owl monkeys and lemurs have also been observed fur-rubbing with millipedes. Only in the capuchins does fur-rubbing play a social role. In Clever Monkeys, the white-faced capuchins become quite excited and enthusiastically gather together to anoint each other with the piper plant. What underlies this party-like behavior is a simple protective measure for the group: each member of the group benefits if the group as a whole is protected from parasites. Primates also have to deal with intestinal parasites. Tamarins have been known to swallow large seeds that in effect dislodge and sweep worms out of their intestinal tract. This practice markedly decreases the parasitic load within their intestines. Other monkeys experience bouts of diarrhea brought on by parasites and viruses. The bonnet macaques of Southern India have taken to eating dirt from termite mounds.

Why eat dirt from termite mounds? The dirt contains kaolin minerals, the same ingredient found in over the counter anti-diarrhetics such as Kaopectate. Rhesus macaques also partake in geophagy, the eating of dirt, for the same reasons. Clay also contains kaolin, and the rhesus macaques take extra care to only ingest clay-rich soils. Like the white-faced capuchins, which only select plants for fur-rubbing with insecticide properties, the macaques selectively choose the right kinds of dirt to sooth their stomachs. Because their leafy diets contain high levels of cyanide, many monkeys, like the black and white colobus in Clever Monkeys, suffer from indigestion. The discovery by red colobus monkeys that eating charcoal absorbs the cyanide and relieves indigestion was revolutionary. The practice is transmitted from mother to infant by imitation. Knowledge is passed from generation to generation, just as the most tested and true remedies have been passed down by earlier generations of humans. With the toxins being absorbed, the red colobus monkeys are free to eat a wider array of plants that have a high nutritional value and are easily digested.

The birth rates in red colobus monkeys that eat charcoal have exploded, proving an evolutionary advantage to self-medicating. It is their clever mind, their curiosity, and their novelty that have made them successful. The same could be said about us. Photo © Wiebke Lammers

Question: Capuchin, Spider and Colobus are types of what?
Answer: Monkey